Can end with slidable piercer



May 10, 1966 K. v. MARTIN CAN END WITH SLIDABLE PIERCER Filed July 2,1964 IN VEN TOR. KENNETH M MAR TIN mLX7QzZZW A fro/nay United 1 StatesPatent Office 3,250,424 Patented May 10, 1966 3,250,424 CAN END WITHSLIDABLE PIERCER Kenneth V. Martin, Munhali Borough, Pa., assignor toUnited States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jerse y Filed July2, 1964, Ser. No. 379,862

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-48) This invention relates to an improved can-endconstruction which facilitates opening the can.

An object of the invention is to provide a can end which carries aslidable piercer for opening the can without need for any sort of tool.

A more specific object is to provide a can end which is formed of arelatively heavy gauge outer ply and a lighter gauge inner ply, saidouter ply carrying a slida'ble piercer for puncturing the inner ply toremove liquid contents of a cam.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a can end constructed in accordance with myinvention;

FIGURE. 2 is a section on line II-H of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational View of the piercer; and

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view of the piercer and its slideway.

The drawing shows a sheet metal can of tinplate or the like which isconventional apart from my improved end construction. The can includes abody shown as cylindrical and an end 12 joined to the body around itsperiphery with the usual seam 13. The end has a relatively heavy gaugeouter ply 12a and a "lighter gauge inner ply 12b fixed to the insideface of the outer ply. For example, I can form the body 10 and the outerply 12a of 107- pound basis-weight tinplate and the inner ply 12b of 30-pound basis-weight tinplate. The outer ply has an opening14 near oneedge through which a small area of the inner ply is exposed.

I fasten a channel-shaped slideway 15 to the outside face of the outerply 12a, as with solder or adhesive. The edges of the flanges of theslideway have outwardly projecting lips 16. The slideway extendsapproximately along a diameter of the can and terminates adjacent theopening 14. A piercer 17 is slidably mounted on the slideway 15, and hasinturned flanges 18 along its edges to receive the lips 16. The endportion of the piercer is bent toward the plies 12a and 12b of the canend and pointed, as indicated at 19. I form the slideway and piercer oftinplate or the like, the same as the can, but the piercer should be ofheavier gauge metal than the inner ply 12b. -pound basis-weight tinplateis satisfactory for the piercer.

To open the can, I push the piercer 17 along the slideway 15 until thepoint 19 reaches the opening 14 in the outer ply 12a. The point thenpunctures the inner ply 12b though the opening. I slide the piercer backafter puncturing the inner ply, enabling liquid contents of the can tobe poured through the puncture. However the piercer always remainsafiixed to the can, and it does not contact the contents except duringthe opening operation.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of myinvention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I donot wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth 'but only by thescope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A can end comprising inner and outer sheet metal plies, said outer plybeing of heavier gauge than said inner ply and having an openingexposing a portion of said inner play, which portion is small relativeto the area of the can end, a channel-shaped slideway fixed to saidouter ply extending from adjacent said opening and having lips whichproject outwardly from its flanges, and a piercer slidably mounted onsaid slideway and having inturned flanges receiving said lips, saidpiercer having a point at one end bent toward said plies and adapted topuncture said inner ply through said opening as the piercer is movedalong said slideway toward the opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 616,304 112/1898Falk 220-48 999,957 8/ 1911 Carman 220-48 1,305,929 6/ 1919 Perrier220-47 2,102,365 12/ 1934 Lloyd 220-48 2,304,214 12/ 1942 Straub.2,569,905 10/ 1951 Schwark 22048 2,772,808 12/1956 Fried 22-0483,142,411 7/ 1964 Fried et al. 22048 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,754 1903 GreatBritain.

THERO N E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. R. A. JENSEN, J. R. GARRETT,Assistant Examiners.

